ZIRCONIUM

The principal economic source of zirconium is most often in the form of the zirconium silicate mineral, zircon (ZrSiO4). Zircon is predominantly recovered as a coproduct of the mining and processing of placer deposits for heavy mineral sands including the titanium minerals, ilmenite and rutile, or tin minerals. Ceramics, foundry sand, metal, refractories, and zirconia (zirconium dioxide, ZrO2) and other zirconium chemicals were the leading end uses for zircon with the dominant end use being ceramics, which accounted for about one-half of the total zircon market. Milled zircon is used in ceramics as an opacifier in ceramic bodies and glazes. Figure 1 U.S. salient trade statistics for zirconium ores and concentrates, 2019-2023. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau) Zirconia and other zirconium chemicals are used in a variety of other uses. Yttria-stabilized zirconia is used in the manufacture of oxygen sensors that control combustion in automobile engines and furnaces and in the manufacture of diverse products including cubic zirconia, fiber-optic connectors, refractory coatings and structural ceramics. Zirconium metal is used in corrosive environments and various specialty alloys. Because of its low thermal neutron absorption cross section, hafniumfree zirconium metal is used as cladding for nuclear fuel rod tubes. In refractory and foundry uses, zircon is used for facings on foundry molds, where it increases resistance to metal penetration and gives a uniform finish to specialty metal castings. Milled or ground zircon is used in refractory paints for coating the surfaces of molds, and refractory bricks containing zircon are used in furnaces and hearths for containing molten metals. Figure 2 Average annual unit values of imported and exported zircon ores and concentrates, 2019-2023. Import unit values are based on imports from Australia, Senegal and South Africa. Export unit values are based on total domestic exports. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau) Table 1 World production of zircon ores and concentrates by country, in kilotons, gross weight. (Source: U.S. Geological Survey) Production Global production of zircon concentrates in gross weight was estimated to be 1.4 Mt in 2023. The leading producing countries, Australia and South Africa, accounted for over half of global production (Table 1). In the United States, The Chemours Co. produced zircon concentrates at its heavy-mineral-sands mining and processing operations near Starke, FL, and Nahunta, GA. In California, Twin Pines Minerals LLC reprocessed stockpiled mine tailings to produce heavymineral concentrates containing titanium and zircon. Trade Based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. zircon concentrate exports totaled 13 kt in ZrO2 equivalent weight with a value of $39 million in 2023 and were 17 percent greater on a quantity basis than in the prior year. In 2023, China (34 percent), India (27 percent) and Mexico (18 percent) were the leading destinations of U.S. exports of zircon concentrates. In 2023, the United States imported an estimated 16.8 kt in ZrO2 equivalent weight of zircon concentrates with a value of $55.8 million, 53 percent less on a quantity basis than in the prior year (Fig. 1). The leading import sources, in descending order of quantity, were Australia (68 percent), South Africa (17 percent) and Senegal (8 percent). China, the leading global consumer of zircon concentrates, imported an estimated 1 Mt in ZrO2 equivalent weight of zircon concentrates with a value of $1.3 billion. Prices On a gross weight basis, the average U.S. zircon export unit value in 2023 was $1,910/t, a 5 percent increase from the previous year. The average annual U.S. zircon import unit values increased by 7 percent to $2,070/t of gross weight (Fig. 2). For comparison in global markets, China’s average annual zircon unit value of imports was $860/t, a 26 percent decrease compared with $1,160/t in 2022. Some of the change in unit value may be attributed to grade and quality. Outlook Consumption of zircon is tied to global economic growth. According to the International Monetary Fund, the global economic growth rate is projected to be 3.1 percent in 2024 and 3.2 percent in 2025, below the historical 2000-2019 average of 3.8 percent. The ceramics, chemicals, refractories and foundry, and casting applications are expected to continue to lead the consumption of zircon. According to a leading mineral sands producer, declining mining grades was expected to constrain long-term supply. References U.S. Geological Survey, 2024, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024—Zirconium and hafnium: U.S. Geological Survey, p. 204–205, https://doi.org/10.3133/mcs2024. Zen Innovations AG, Global Trade Tracker.

ZIRCONIUM

Authored by:
Joseph Gambogi

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